Triton Transfer Tell Alls

Being Pre-Law at an R1 STEM Institution

When people think about UCSD, the first thing that comes to mind is often research, engineering, or the hard sciences. With media coverage and commentary often discussing scientific breakthroughs and esteemed faculty in the STEM departments, it’s easy to overlook the small but mighty pre-law community that exists and continues to grow on campus. But the benefits of having a smaller network of pre-law students have helped me network and succeed during my two years at UCSD, something I wanted to share to any current or prospective students who are interested in choosing UCSD for their pre-law journey!

What can UCSD offer you if law school is your goal? That’s a question I got asked a lot when deciding where to transfer to. A school with no law school, no “big” professional network with legal professionals, and no legal studies major seemed to perplex family and friends alike when I told them I was choosing UCSD over other UCs that did have their own law schools. And while everyone’s decision for school is different, UCSD had always been a top choice for me given its location, and the quality of its Political Science program. Being able to stay in San Diego at a school so close to the beach, and learning from some of the top professors in the nation in the Political Science field was too good an offer to pass on. 

Once at UCSD, I began looking for ways to get involved in pre-law opportunities and begin building my resume for law school. I had been fortunate to have worked at the San Diego County District Attorney’s office in community college, and had a full year as a full-time Legal Assistant in family law before transferring, so the big areas I wanted to get involved in was advocacy and research (yes, even pre-law students can do research!). There exists a wide range of student organizations that are tailored for pre-law students, which was a great place for me to start. Some of these include Mock Trial, Moot Court, Kappa Alpha Pi(KAPi), the Undergraduate Law Review, Speech & Debate, Pre-Law Coalition, Project Venus, and Model UN. I ended up joining the Mock Trial team at UCSD, and competed with them both years I was here. On top of student organizations, there are professional development opportunities for pre-law students through the Law & Politics initiative, Student Legal Services, and the Career Center. From highlighting internships to a quarter-long “Discover the Law” series, these resources can be paramount to helping you succeed during your time at UCSD!

UCSD is still a great resource when it comes to applying to law school! The Career Center has full-time advisors who are experts in pre-law and pre-grad applications, meaning you have someone to go to when preparing your personal statement, resume, and other application parts! Not just that, but the Undergraduate Grant Program through extended studies can help greatly reduce the cost for LSAT studying, if done through the extended studies course.These two resources, taken together, made the law school application process so much less stressful for me. Being the first in my family to attend law school meant that I was unfamiliar with a lot of the steps, so having experts at UCSD that I could talk to was very reassuring.

All in all, the decision to attend UCSD, despite its focus on STEM & research, has been an amazing experience. I was still able to find my place in the pre-law community on campus, but have also had the opportunity to explore other areas of interest. I conducted my own research, attended lobbying days through our student government, and have gotten to work at the Transfer Hub over the past two years, helping make the school a better place for transfer students like me! I’ve learned that law schools aren’t concerned with where you go to school, but what you do while you are there. I am excited to continue my legal journey at UCLA School of Law in the Fall! My closing remarks are to find your place at the school and share your passions with law school admissions - you will go far!